Overview
In addition to the instance that your organization utilizes for daily operations, SmartSimple clients are granted access to a secondary backup instance.
The backup instance serves as a copy of your live SmartSimple instance from the preceding day.
The backup instance of your SmartSimple is synchronized nightly with all current information from your primary instance as it existed at the time the backup is executed each night. For instance, if you modify your password on the live instance of SmartSimple, the backup will reflect your new password following its nightly update.
| Backup | The backup environment is classified as a warm backup. This indicates that it is perpetually operational and accessible, akin to the production (live) environment. However, the backup is not a real-time continuous synchronization. Rather, the backup synchronizes from the production servers once daily overnight. Consequently, modifications made to the production environment of your SmartSimple instance will not be immediately reflected in the backup; the delay may extend up to 24 hours. |
|---|---|
| Archive | The archive storage retains daily backups of the database for a duration of up to 90 days. This environment is not an accessible web server; it is solely utilized for the storage of each daily database backup. |
Identifying Your Backup Instance
Depending on the location of your production instance, you can ascertain the location of your backup instance by utilizing the following table:
| Production Instance | Backup Instance |
| alias.smartsimple.com | alias.smartsimplebk.com |
| alias.smartsimple.biz | alias.smartsimplebk.biz |
| alias.smartsimple2.biz | alias.smartsimple2bk.biz |
| alias.smartsimple.ca | alias.smartsimplebk.ca |
| alias.smartsimple.us | alias.smartsimplebk.us |
| alias.smartsimple.ie | alias.smartsimplebk.ie |
In most instances, the backup instance can be accessed by appending a "bk" to the URL of your production instance. The bk is inserted after the smartsimple segment of the URL, but prior to the domain suffix (.com, .biz, .ca, etc.).
You may log into the backup instance using the same username and password as the production instance.
In the illustration below, the user is logged into the backup instance. Please note the bk in the URL, along with the header indicating Environment: Backup.
Appropriate Usage of the Backup Instance
Configuration Mode - Testing Modifications
When testing a new concept or procedure, whether in Configuration Mode or otherwise, it is advisable to implement all modifications in the backup environment initially, execute the process if necessary, and subsequently transfer the desired changes into the live instance. Since the backup instance does not affect live users, it is optimally utilized for any modifications or updates to the production instance that require testing. Changes that have been successfully validated on the backup can then be replicated on the production instance to ensure they are reflected in the live system.
You may be logged into both the backup and live instances concurrently; however, it is recommended to assign one browser for the live instance and another for the backup. This practice minimizes the risk of inadvertently making changes in the live instance by selecting the incorrect tab, while also allowing for testing of changes across multiple browsers.
The backup instance does not dispatch any emails triggered by workflows; however, you can review the output results in the In Queue tab of the Message Queue, making it an excellent environment for safely testing workflows.
Note: Password reset emails initiated from backup environments will be dispatched.
Learning Environment
The backup instance also serves as a valuable resource for new internal users who are unfamiliar with the SmartSimple system, allowing them to build confidence and manage or investigate processes. For a new System Administrator, for example, it can be beneficial to grant this user System Administrator/Global Administrator permissions exclusively on the backup instance to avoid impacting the live environment.
It is feasible to restrict login access to the backup environment by role, which can be configured under System Feature Permissions in the Global Settings.
Note: Any alterations to the data or structure of the backup instance will be overwritten upon the execution of the nightly backup.
System Upgrades
When system upgrades are scheduled, the backup servers are updated two weeks in advance of the production servers for testing purposes. This schedule does not encompass users operating on a dedicated server.
System Upgrade Process
The purpose of our system upgrade process is to provide customers with an opportunity to review how their applications and information will function following a system upgrade, without compromising the integrity of their current production system. To facilitate this, the backup instance must be utilized. The backup update enables instance-specific testing, as users can log into their respective backup instance and evaluate the changes against their most current data and configuration.
Enabling Role-Based Access to the Backup Environment
Should you wish to impose role restrictions for access to your backup environment, the relevant setting can be found at Global Administration Menu (gear icon) > Global Settings > Security (tab) > System Feature Permissions > Feature (tab) > Restrict Login to Backup Environment to these Roles.